Limited Releases are Going Psycho

November 23rd, 2012

It's a pretty light week for limited releases. Hitchcock is by far the biggest release, but its reviews are only mixed, so its box office chances are not strong. On the other hand, The Central Park Five is earning reviews that are strong enough that it should thrive, at least in limited release. It is very rare for a documentary to expand wide, even under the best of circumstances.

The Central Park Five - Reviews
A documentary about a horrible rape that happened in 1989 and the rush to convict five men for the crime, all of whom were Black or Latino. Many years later, it was learned that a serial rapist was the real rapist. The film is co-written and co-directed by Ken Burns, who is one of the few documentarians who has real name recognition, so hopefully that will help it at the box office. The Central Park Five opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City.

Hitchcock - Reviews
There was some pre-release buzz that suggested this film would be a major player during Awards Season. That's not going to happen now. That's not entirely fair. While the film's overall reviews are barely above the overall positive level, Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren are earning a lot of praise for their performances. Perhaps the big names will help the film thrive in limited release and the two leads will pick up some major nominations, but I don't think it will be as successful in either area as most were anticipating. Hitchcock opens tonight in 17 theaters in major cities nationwide.